The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of bishop's hat grown for use as an ornamental for container, rock garden, or as a groundcover in the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Epimedium wushanense×E. flavum and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘AMBER QUEEN’.
‘AMBER QUEEN’ is a plant hybrid that resulted from the deliberate cross-hybridization of Epimedium wushanense ‘Caramel’ (unpatented) and Epimedium flavum (unpatented). The seed parent is an individual Epimedium wushanense ‘Caramel’ and the pollen parent is an individual Epimedium flavum. The deliberate cross-hybridization was conducted in 1994 by the inventor at the inventor's nursery in Hampshire, England.
The inventor selected the new Epimedium cultivar named ‘AMBER QUEEN’ in 1994 based on the distinguishing characteristics of flower shape and flower color. The new Epimedium variety ‘AMBER QUEEN’ is readily distinguishable from the parents by flower shape and flower color. There are no close comparison plants known to the inventor.
‘AMBER QUEEN’ is semi-evergreen, characterized by clumping habit, spiny holly-like leaflets that are green and russet in color, and amber-orange spurred flowers that are held above the leaves. ‘AMBER QUEEN’ exhibits two distinct layers of foliage, due to the difference in length between basal stems and the subsequently basally branching stems. Essentially herbaceous, ‘AMBER QUEEN’ will retain leaves when winter temperatures are above minus 10° Centigrade.
The first asexual reproduction of the new Epimedium cultivar ‘AMBER QUEEN’ was conducted in 1995 by the method of division. Division of ‘AMBER QUEEN’ was accomplished by the inventor, at the inventor's nursery in Hampshire, England. Since that time the distinguishing characteristics of ‘AMBER QUEEN’ have been determined stable, fixed and reproduce true to type in successive generations.